My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Callahan served as Wax Fang’s “roadie” at the day party where I saw them play, and I almost didn’t recognize him amidst all of the beards and long hair. The Louisville trio’s sound certainly flirts with the indie-leaning jam rock of other central valley exports like MMJ and Kings of Leon, but there’s nothing ‘hippie dippy’ about the intricate looping and pedal work of guitarist/vocalist/theraminist Scott Carney and the huge, thunderous, pinpoint drumming of Kevin Ratterman. Good old Southern-fried rocknroll was transformed into a soaring, spaced-out rollercoaster that somehow maintained the tight, ratcheted-up-to-10 force of its early 70’s influences.
Hold it before you assume that I mean the Doobie Brothers or CCR - Wax Fang has enjoyed comparisons to David Bowie’s sharp vocals and dreamy glam shimmer just as often. Self-described as “how rock ‘n’ roll might sound if it simultaneously existed in the past and future,” there’s no doubt that these guys are channeling the might and fury of first-wave ‘hard’ rockers through a filter of disjointed modern nerd rock…like they’re concurrently pilfering from both Journey and the Silver Jews.
They’re at Schubas in Chicago on April 17th with Unicycle Loves You and Modern Skirts.
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